Ballast dropping apparatus for negatively buoyant torpedo



Oct. 20, 1964 a. SHAVER ETAL 3,153,394

BALLAST DROPPING APPARATUS FOR NEGATIVELY BUOYANT TORPEDO Filed NOV. 6, 1961 innnnii 4o I V Q 34 54 gnaw":lmmmlmwggi g V, .k\\\\\\\\\\\\\ I v i F 60 FIG. 3

INVENTORS. EUGENE L. SHAVER BYRICHARD J. BRIDGES ATToR' N E Y.

United States I Patent Navy Filed Nov. 6, 1961, Ser. No. 150,599 7 Claims. (Cl. 114-40) This invention relates to improvements in ballast dropping apparatus for negatively buoyant torpedoes.

It is conventional practice to render negatively buoyant torpedoes buoyant after test runs to enable their recovery at the surface of the sea. Of the various devices employed for this purpose releasable ballast carried by a torpedo has been extensively employed. This may be in the form of lead shot or one or more lead weights which may be released for gravity drop after the test run or, in some cases, forceably ejected from the torpedo by suitable mechanism. Separation from the torpedo by utilizing the force of gravity generally results in the most simplified form of device, however such devices have their disadvantages since the torpedo may assume an attitude which prevents the release. Thus, if the weight must fall through what is normally the bottom of the torpedo it will not release should the torpedo become inverted at the time release is desired.

The choice of position of the ballast in the torpedo is usually within an exercise section which is disposed somewhere between the nose and tail cone sections. Since the ballast is conventionally released through an aperture or trap door disposed at what is normally the bottom of the torpedo such choice has rendered it essential that the torpedo be within predetermined limits of roll about its axis at the time of release. The forceable ejection systems referred to operate independent of this roll but suffer the disadvantages of complication of variou parts which are subject to failure thus reducing reliability of recovery.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide torpedo ballast which is located relative to a torpedo in a position which permits its gravity release independent of the torpedo roll position at the time of release.

Another object is to provide such ballast at the forward end of the nose section of a torpedo with its mass distributed symmetrically about the axis of the torpedo and constrained in such manner that when constraint is removed it may fall from the nose section irrespective of the torpedo roll.

Another object is to eliminate apertures, trap doors and other devices formerly employed which allowed jamming 0f the ballast during attempted release, either through un favorable roll orientation of the torpedo or hydrodynamic water forces acting on the ballast during partial release.

A further object is to restrain the ballast on the torpedo with a single securing member which may be disconnected by highly reliable disconnecting means.

Further objects, advantages and salient features will become more apparent from a consideration of the description to follow, the appended claims, and the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a torpedo employing the subject of the invention;

FiG. 2 is an enlarged section taken on line 2--2, FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged detail of a portion of FIG. 2 indicated by arrow 3;

FIG. 4 is a section taken on line 4-4, FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an end elevation in the direction of arrow 5, FIG. 2; and

FIG. 6 is a simplified electrical circuit.

Referring now to the drawing, the invention comprises a nose section 16 which is removably secured to the for- ICC.

ward end of torpedo '12 in anymanner understood in the art, exemplary of which is a contractible or segmental joint ring 14, which engages joint 16. This nose section is employed during an exercise run in lieu of the warhead nose section (not shown).

Nose section'10 comprises a circular hull portion 18, to the front edge of which is welded a spherical plate 20, the latter being welded'to a central bulkhead member 22 disposed concentric with longitudinal axis 24 of the torpedo. A weight 26, having a spherical rear surface 28 which ,con-

' forms to plate 20, is disposed at the forward end of the nose section, the forward face 30 being flattened like the transducer (not shown) which is employed on the warhead section. With the weight attached, the nose section thus hydrodynamically simulates the warhead section. A suitable lifting eye 32 is suitably secured to the ballast weight for hoisting and otherwise handling the torpedo.

As best shown in FIG. 3, the ballast weight is secured to the nose sectionby a bolt 34, the threaded rear end of which engages a threaded member or nut 36. Member 36 is provided with threads 38 which engage threads in bulkhead 22, water leakage along the threads being prevented by an O-ring 40 and a flange 42 on the member.

Member 36 is provided with a centralaperture 44 which contains an explosive material 46 which may be exploded by one or more electric bridge wires 48 (FIG. 6), also disposed within the central aperture. A groove or weak ened zone 50 adjacent the rear face of the ballast controls severing of this member at a desired position when the explosive is detonated. The rear end of aperture 44. is closed by any suitable type of removable closure plug 52.

In the assembly of thedevice the nose section is re: moved from the torpedo and an explosive and its detonating quib are inserted in aperture 44 after which the latter is closed by closure 52, the lead wires 54 sealingly extending through the closure. The circuit is then suitably connected as shown in FIG. 6 to an ambient pressure sensing switch 56 and explosive actuating switch 58. The nose section i then afiixed to the torpedo and ballast 26 applied, tightening bolt 34. In operation, switch 58 is closed in any desired manner understood in the art after the end of an exercise run which energizes bridge wires 48 exploding the explosive 46 and severing member 36 at weakened zone 50. In event of failure of switch 58, hydrostatically actuated switch 56 completes the circuit after the torpedo has descended to a predetermined depth. When member 36 is severed the ballast may drop from the nose section or slide out of the nose section regardless of roll attitude of the torpedo since the spherical surfaces between the ballast and nose section do not provide any posi tive restraint or permit any jamming action. After the ballast falls away the torpedo is then buoyant and ascends to the surface of the sea for recovery. It may be lifted from the sea by a hoist which engages a ring 60 contained within an annular recess 62 in the bulkhead, the ring being secured to the bulkhead by a plate 64 which permits the ring to pivot to a position in which a hoist hook or the like may engage same. The portion of severed member 36 which remains in the bulkhead may then be removed and replaced with a new member for a subsequent run. The expendable portion, in addition to the normally expended ballast, is thus only relatively inexpensive member 36.

. Obviously many modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the appended'claims the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

1. A torpedo exercise nose section for use on the forward end of a negatively buoyant torpedo in lieu of its warhead section and havingan overall shape which hydrodynamically simulates the warhead section, whereby a Patented Oct. 20, 1964' test run of the torpedo with the exercise nose section hydrodynamically simulates an actual run with the warhead section, said exercise nose section comprising an outer hull section adapted to be secured to a torpedo in lieu of its warhead section, a portion of which has an outer shape like the portion of the warhead it simulates, and a ballast weight detachably secured to said hull section having a shape like the remaining portion of the warhead section it simulates, whereby the combined shapes of the hull and weight have the same shape as the warhead section, the torpedo being buoyant when said ballast weight is detached from said hull section, said hull section being concavely spherical at its forward end and said ballast weight being convexly spherical at its rear end to mate with the hull section, and its center of mass being disposed substantially on the torpedo longitudinal axis, the ballast adapted to separate from the torpedo by force of gravity in any angular direction about said axis forwardly and outwardly of a plane perpendicular to said axis, and means for releasably securing the ballast to the torpedo.

2. A torpedo exercise nose section in accordance with claim 1 wherein said means comprises a severable member disposed on said axis.

3. A torpedo exercise nose section in accordance with claim 2 including an explosive for severing said member.

4. A torpedo exercise nose section in accordance with claim 3 wherein said member comprises a bolt engaging the ballast and a hollow explosive nut engaging the bolt, the explosive being disposed within the hollow nut, said nut having a weakened section disposed adjacent the spherical face adapted to sever, leaving the bolt and-part of the nut in the ballast and the remaining part of the nut in the torpedo.

5. A torpedo exercise nose section in accordance with claim 1 wherein the forward face of the ballast is shaped to simulate the shape of a transducer.

6. A torpedo exercise nose section comprising an outer hull, the forward end of which is concavely spherical and is secured to a bulkhead disposed about the torpedo longitudinal axis, said bulkhead having a threaded aperture extending therethrough, a ballast weight having a rear surface conforming to the spherical surface of the bulkhead disposed forwardly of same, an explosive nut engaging said threaded aperture, and a bolt extending through said ballast weight along said axis, the rear end of which threadedly engages said nut, said nut having a weakened portion adapted to sever it in a plane between said spherical surface and the rear surface of the ballast weight, whereby said ballast weight may move forwardly and outwardly away from said section when said nut is severed and independent of the angular position of roll of the nose section.

7. A torpedo exercise nose section in accordance with claim 6 wherein said bulkhead is provided with an annular space opening toward its front end, and a lifting ring disposed within said annular space, said lifting ring being pivotally connected to said bulkhead for movement to a position partially outside of said space, whereby it may be connected to a hook or the like for lifting the nose section.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,097,700 Whiting May 26, 1914 1,803,530 King et al. May 5, 1931 2,338,322 Ferrer Jan. 4, 1944 2,565,470 Brown Aug. 28, 1951 2,653,504 Smith Sept. 29, 1953 2,818,586 Dayer et al. Jan. 7, 1958 2,824,537 Boyle Feb. 25, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 123,598 Great Britain Mar. 3, 1919 

1. A TORPEDO EXERCISE NOSE SECTION FOR USE ON THE FORWARD END OF A NEGATIVELY BUOYANBT TORPEDO IN LIEU OF ITS WARHEAD SECTION AND HAVING AN OVERALL SHAPE WHICH HYDRODYNAMIALLY SIMULATES THE WARHEAD SECTION, WHEREBY A TEST RUN OF THE TORPEDO WITH THE EXERCISE NOSE SECTION HYDRODYNAMICALLY SIMULATES AN ACTUAL RUN WITH THE WARHEAD SECTION, SAID EXERCISE NOSE SECTION COMPRISING AN OUTER HULL SECTION ADAPTED TO BE SECURED TO A TORPEDO IN LIEU OF ITS WARHEAD SECTION, A PORTION OF WHICH HAS AN OTER SHAPE LIKE THE PORTION OF THE WARHEAD IT SIMULATES, AND A BALLAST WEIGHT DETACHABLY SECURED TO SAID HULL SECTION HAVING A SHAPE LIKE THE REMAINING PORTION OF THE WARHEAD SECTION IT SIMULATES, WHEREBY THE COMBINED SHAPES OF THE HULL AND WEIGHT HAVE THE SAME SHAPE AS THE WARHEAD SECTION, THE TORPEDO BEING BUOYANT WHEN SAID BALLAST WEIGHT IS DE- 